Friday, 3 January 2014

The Pitfalls of Self-Publishing -- Kurt Chambers

So you wrote a whole book? That is so awesome! I know
exactly what it's like when you put your heart and soul into writing a whole
novel. No one but another writer can fully understand just how much you put
into your creations. But you did it! You probably spent the same amount of time
bringing your story to the best it can be ready to publish. This is a massive
achievement for anyone, and a very exciting time for an author. You are about
to release your baby to the world!

You have two options: try to get published the traditional
way by submitting to a publisher or agent, or self-publish. If you choose the
traditional route, please be aware that there are a lot of sharks out there
ready to take your money. Before you get too excited with the offer of a
contract, always check out an agent or publisher at the Preditors & Editors
website. Here is a story of how I nearly got caught out in an old blog post,
Getting Published.

For those of you who are going to self-publish, it is
important for you to know when your book is ready to release. There are a lot
of books out there that are simply not up to a publishing standard. It's so
easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of publishing a book. You can't rely
on a read-through by your mum or a few good friends. If your book is not
ready, you will get bad reviews. This WILL affect your sales! There are plenty
of groups and forums out there that will help you learn the 'rules' of writing
which will make you a much stronger writer. If you are serious about becoming
an author, you need to learn your trade just like any other trade. This would
be my biggest recommendation. Learn to write creatively and become a great
writer.

When you are ready and you have your manuscript as good as
it can be, you still need to have it proofread by a professional proofreader.
This doesn't have to be expensive, but you should use someone that has been
recommended. I use this service myself, PenPals Editing.

Now you have the perfect manuscript, you will need an
eye-catching cover to go with it. It's important to have a professional-looking
cover. It's your first contact with a potential reader and you want your book
to look irresistible. Again, ask for advice from your newly acquainted writer
friends and shop around for a good deal. Dawne Dominique is my cover artist. I love her artwork so much.

Formatting is the next on your list. In order to publish
your book, it will need formatting ready to upload to Amazon and other sites
such as Smashwords. You might be able to do this yourself if you are a wiz with
a computer, or you can pay a charge to the many people out there offering this
service. If you want to have a go yourself, search Google for an article on how
to do this. Anastasia Creatives does all my formatting and web design.

Now comes the hard part. As a first time author, you will
dream of fame and fortune in the likes of Harry Potter. I'm going to burst your
bubble. This is not going to happen. Selling books is not easy. There are many
thousands of other self-published authors out there doing the same as you, and
unless you are a marketing wizard, you are going to hit that most difficult
time when you struggle to sell or even give away your book. The reason I am
saying this is not to discourage you, far from it, but this is something you
need to be aware of.

Years ago, when self-publishing wasn't an option, a lot of
writers gave up after receiving a pile of rejection letters. These days, we are
starting to see the same thing with self-published authors giving up after
publishing a few books with disappointing sales. That is why I wanted to point
this out. If you are expecting miracles, you will be disappointed, but this
really isn't a reason for you to give up. You have to keep on writing, and keep
on publishing! Becoming a success isn't going to happen overnight. It's
something you have to work hard at and keep on plugging away until it DOES
happen. It will probably take years. But the one thing you must never do is
give up. You're a writer, it's what you do.

Keep writing and never stop dreaming, no matter how hard it
seems. You have a story to tell. Yes! It's so hard sometimes, I know! But it's
impossible if you don't try. Believe in yourself.

Shameless plug

Truth Teller by Kurt Chambers is free to all readers

How can ten-year-old Charlotte ever envisage that magic really exists? The place for other realms belongs in a child’s fairy tale. Or so she thinks, until she discovers the strange shopkeeper and begins an adventure that changes her life forever.

Discovered alone in a far away forest, Charlotte embarks on a journey encountering heart-stopping dangers and real life monsters, but a far greater threat shadows her every move. Even the strength and skill of her new companions cannot protect her against a ruthless druid assassin.

But in this realm, Charlotte is not the vulnerable little girl she thought she was.

10 comments:

Nice post, Kurt. I did self-publish a book and got good reviews, and STILL it's a lot of work to get it out there. My next book did get an agent, who is submitting it to the places I would never be able to submit to, and I am so glad, because now I can concentrate on writing the next book and the next. But self-publishing was a good experience, and I learned a lot from the process. You could say it "jump-started" me into the world of network, and it's also a book I'm proud of.

That's fantastic, Elizabeth :) and massively encouraging! I had a near miss with an agent last year with my newest novel. My self-published novel wouldn't be of interest to the market, but like you, I was too proud of it to just shelve it.

Most of the authors I've seen become successful (even with traditional publishing) have taken at least three books to get there, sometimes as many as ten. Personally at the moment I have other priorities beyond promoting my books, as I'm trying to get my PhD thesis finished, so in the meantime I'm focusing on improving my work, and when I'm a Doctor then I'll start actively marketing again. (Plus I'm going to invest in new covers for my novels, something which I totally missed the importance of when I started out, because I'm visually impaired and literally never see covers of my kindle books...)

I have three complete novels waiting in the wings to be edited and published. There's hope for me yet! lol

Good luck with the PhD. I can see why you are a little tied up! I can't wait to see your book covers. I can't even imagine what it would be like not seeing them. It's a good move though. The cover is very important :)

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I am a writer of children's books, (Middle Grade.) I have published the first book in my fantasy series, Truth Teller. I also have a fantasy/sci-fi novel, Unknown Reality, that I have just completed and is about to enter the submission process. I have various other books in the pipeline including a MG novel aged at younger children, The World in Johnny's Back Garden. Please click on the book covers above to read excerpts of my stories.